A team from a top restaurant was invited to the House of Lords to celebrate its success in making Wrexham a safer place.
Frankie and Benny’s at Eagles Meadow shopping centre has been at the forefront of Wrexham Council’s Best Bar None scheme.
It was shortlisted for most innovative scheme in the UK and was awarded highly commended at the House of Lords event.
The aim of the programme is to make nights out safer and more fun, with establishments striving for bronze, silver, and gold awards, as well as competing with one and other.
Frankie and Benny’s received a Gold Award at the Wrexham Awards and was also named as the Best Restaurant in Wrexham involved in the initiative.
Restaurant manager Peter Cross said: “We were invited to the House of Lords because we were named as the Best Restaurant in Wrexham.
“It was a brilliant day. We went out on one of the terraces in the Houses of Parliament and has a panoramic view of London, which was immense. We could see things like the London Eye.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team here at Frankie & Benny’s for all of their hard work.”
Best Bar None is a National Award Scheme supported by the Home Office and aimed at promoting responsible management and operation of alcohol licensed premises.
It was piloted in Manchester in 2003 and found to improve standards in the Night time economy, with premises now competing to participate. It has since been adopted by towns and cities across the UK and is now being taken up internationally.
The idea was trialled in Wrexham in 2013 and is supported by restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs throughout the town centre.
Peter also paid tribute to Laura Davies, the Environmental Health Officer at Wrexham Council in charge of the project.
He added: “I can’t stress the importance of what Laura what has done for Wrexham.
“There was only one arrest on New Year’s Eve in Wrexham and that down to the success of the Best Bar None scheme.
“It is all about your attention to alcohol and being responsive, responsible and diligent.
“We keep an eye on how much people are drinking in the restaurant.
“One thing you also have to watch out for these days is pre loading where people consume a lot of alcohol before going out.
“You watch out for the signs that people have had too much to drink and stop them from drinking any more. It’s about nipping things in the bud early before they become a big problem.
“It makes people safer. When you go out for a meal and a drink you want people to feel comfortable and safe in the environment.
“It’s not about stopping fun. If anything it allows people to have more fun because it stops the negative aspects such as violence or people hurting themselves through drinking too much.
“We also have 24 hour security at Eagles Meadow which helps keep people safe. We also have a CCTV system.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley said: “I’d like to congratulate Peter and the rest of the team Frankie & Benny’s for their fantastic work with the Best Bar None scheme.
“Safety is a big priority for us here at Eagles Meadow and Frankie and Benny’s is a fantastic example of that.”
